Improvement in parlor-skates



C. W. SALADEE.

l Il

PARLOR SKATES.

Patented May1s,187e;

To all whomit may concern IMPROVEMENT |N E lSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,566, dated May 16, 1876;

oYRUs wsnminnn, oF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT oF COLUMBIA.

PARLOR-SKATES.-

application filed j May 2, 1876.

s BeA it known that I, CYRUsW.' SALADEE, v

"ofashington, in theL District ol Columbia,V have invented certain Improvements in Parlor-Skates, of which cation: y A p To enable .others skilled in the art to make andu'se my invention, I herewith submit theV lfollowing description:A

-' A skate constructed with rollers that cramp, by means of a rocking orfcanting motion of the stock or foot stand, upon a hinged mechanism 4interposed between the.V stock `and the axlebearings of the skate, is no part of my invention. In my invention the-pivot-bearings supthe following is a' specifiporting the stock of the-skate are secured to the 'roller-frames or coupling at a suitable dis- `tance in advance of'the front and rear rollerbearngs, said frames being connected and l coupled together to form asliding joint between the front and rear axles. By this arrangement of parts is secured two important objects: rst, the weight imposed upon the roller-frames is evenly'balanced, and no leverage is exercisedupon the` said pivot-bearings, which otherwise would sustain the lateral strain which is common to the ordinary casterwheel pivots; and second, by a lateral horizontal movement of the toe and heel of the skaters boot in opposite directions, the rollers will be adjusted to run the skate in a curved direction to the right or left, as desired. Also, in my invention the roller-carrying frames of the skate are so constructed that the rollers and axles are made detachable, thereby admitting of using the skate with two, three, or four rollers, as circumstances may require; and-third, my invention consists in the method-of applying a spring to the stock and running-gear, or to the running-gear alone, so as to maintain the rollers in a straight line the instant they are relieved from the strain which compels them to run in curved lines, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawings, Figure l is a bottom-plan view of a two-rollerA skate on the planpof my invention. Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same through the center. Fig.

3 is a bottom-pl an view offa modication, showing three wheels or rollers secured to the same stock. Fig. 4 is a bottom-plan view of a modification, showing four wheels or rollers secured to the stock; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the roller, showing the manner `of securing thereto the attachable elastic band or tire V.

The roller-frames and coupling-,bars Gr G are formed with bearings U U! for the rolleraxles, which bearings are spread apart, forming open spaces to admit the rollers C G1, when only one roller is used in each frame,fas shown in Figs.1 and 3. The single-roller axles A A1 are made removable, and in lieu of them the axles A2 A3 for the double rollers O2- 03 may be inserted in the bearings UQUQto which they are secured by set-screws a, or otherrequivalent means.' By this arranlgem'entthe'skate may be used with two,fthree, orffour rollers, as indicated in the different gure's, I'or as'niay be desired. Each pair of skates 'willibeijprovided with eight rollers, and four lon'g' andfour short axles, A A1, so that thev beginnermay first 'use four rollers, and afterward `redfl'i'cze them to three and to two as he attains prociency inthe use ofthe skates. The rollerframeor coupling-bar G is extended forward to form a bearing, T', on'which to secure the center pin' or pivot H'. Immediately-in front of the rear roller-bearing is formed the bearing T, on which to secure the rear center pin or pivot H. The inner end of the roller-frame or coupling-bar G has a stud, D, formed on the upper side, and the rear bar G has its inner end formed with an oblong slot tting over the stud D, and in which the latter is permitted to slide, to admit of the position seenv in dotted lines in Fig. 1. To regulate the travel of the stud D in its slot F, and thereby limit the lateral motion of the coupling-bar joint, a set-screw, I2, is passed into thc end of the bar Gr, reaching through and into the slot F. The stock or foot-stand Ris of the usual make and form. To the front end is secured a socket, M', Fig. 2, which fits over the center pin or pivot H. To the rear end of the stock is secured a socket, M, which is in like manner tted over the center pin or pivot H. These connections are secured byathe set-screws J and J', the points of which tit into corresponding grooves in the center-pins. The stud D is held in the slot F, and the coupling-bars joined together either by meansof a screw-nut or by a pin driven through its body. For the purpose of keeping the coupling-bars onra line with each other, and to force them back to that position from the one seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when the rollers are relieved from the strain directing and holding them in a curved line, or when lifting the skate clear of the floor, a torsional spring, Z, is employed, having the one end rigidly fixed to the front end ot' the stock at O' Y', Fig. 2, While the opposite end is passed loosely through the bearing Y, and secured to the swinging standard X2. The lower end of the standard X2 is forked, one prong extending down on each side of the main body of the rear coupling-bar G. Thus, as the coupling is moved to the right or I eft, the swinging standard operates to twist the spring Z, the resistance to which will tend to return the coupling-bars to a straight line central to the skate.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification of a spring that may be substituted for the one hereinbefore described, and answer the same purpose. It is represented by the dotted lines Z. In this modication a lat or round strip of steel is passed through the stud D of the couplingbar G', and the opposite ends of the spring are loosely passed into the body of the socket M and M'. Thus arranged, the straight strip of steel will be bent as the stud D is moved laterally to the right or left, and, having a bearing at each end,'as shown, will tend to keep the coupling-bars in a line with each other. With the application of the usual fastenings to secure the boot of the skater in position on the stock, the skate is complete.

To turn the skate the toc of the boot is turned in the direction required, and the heel in the opposite direction, when, by reason of the Weight being imposed upon the center pins or pivots H H', which pins are in advance of the bearing of the rollers on the oor, like the ordinary caster-wheels, the coupling-bars G G' will instantly yield to such horizontal lateral pressure, and take the position indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 1. The roller-axles will' thus be in a position radial to the curve, and the skate Will turn to the right or left, as desired. Another important office of the coupling-bars is to prevent the leverage which is exerted on the pivots in the ordinary casterwheels. Their construction is such as to balance the weight carried by the center-pin or pivot-bearings T T', for these points being an equal distance in advance of the front and rear roller-bearings on the Hoor, the tendency of theI rear end of the coupling-bar Gl is upward, while the tendency of the frontend of the rear coupling-bar G is'downward. By uniting the bars at their point of meeting, these two pressures are counteracted, and the center pins or pivots H H' are relieved of that lateral strain they otherwise would have to sustain.

l. In a parlor-skate, the roller-frames G G',

' in combination with the coupling D F, axlebearings U U', and pivots H H', the whole constructed and arranged to opera-te substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a parlor-skate, the roller-frames G G', having the axle-bearings U U', in combination with the detachable axles, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a parlor-skate, the torsional spring Z or spring Z', in combination with the stock R and coupling-bars G G', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CYRUS W. SALADEE. Witnesses: Y

ABBY C. SALADEE,

STELLA J. CHM/nanas. 

